Courtois comparison with Valdes statistically

With Victor Valdes‘ move away from Barcelona becoming more and more likely  there are an increasing amount of rumours circulating regarding the Spaniard’s replacement, according to Sky Sports. Despite the criticism which Valdes has gained during his spell in Catalonia it is difficult to argue that he has been an excellent custodian – since making his first team debut in the 2002-03 season, the ‘keeper has made 369 appearances for Barca, winning five Zamora Trophies in the process.
Thibaut Courtois has been mooted as a possible replacement for Valdes and the fantastic ability which the on-loan Atletico Madrid stopper has demonstrated in recent years suggests that he would be an able replacement for the current incumbent. However, the question lingers as to whether or not he would be as good a replacement for Valdes.
Shot stopping is the critical area for goalkeepers, the bare minimum ability which they are expected to possess. In this department, despite memorable performances from Courtois which incited many fans to call for the Belgian to replace Petr Cech at Chelsea, Valdes comes out on top statistically.
The Barcelona goalkeeper makes on average four saves to every goal which he concedes, a figure which makes Courtois’ 2.5 look poor in comparison. Whilst there has to be some leeway with this statistic due to the quality of shot faced, Valdes actually faces more shots per game than Courtois; the difference in these two figures suggest a slight difference in class between the two.

Thibaut Courtois saves per game this season

One attribute which Courtois has been praised for is his ability to dominate aerial battles; it is a trait which led many pundits to suggest he would be perfectly suited to the Premier League. In this department, both men have been as good as each other – whilst the Belgian goalkeeper has an 88% claim success rate, he is yet to lose an aerial battle and the figure is only down from 100% due to a game in which Courtois did not attempt to claim a cross. Similarly, the Barca man is yet to lose an aerial battle.
This aerial ability has a calming effect on defenders and supporters alike, adding an extra air of reassurance to a back four, and this season both goalkeepers have provided their team with this.

Thibaut Courtois’ claims success this season

Barcelona are renowned for their tendency to play out from defence, and as such a goalkeeper is required to have excellent distribution. Valdes has bettered Courtois in this department thus far this season, possessing a distribution success rate of 68% which overshadows his rumoured replacement’s 56%.

Victor Valdes’ distribution this season

This suggests that, should Courtois replace Valdes, he would have to seriously work on his kicking accuracy so as to avoid having a detrimental effect upon Barcelona’s tactics – as minute a detail as it appears, the distribution of a goalkeeper is becoming ever more important in modern day football.
Despite the criticism which Valdes has attained over the years, he has been – and remains to be – a terrific goalkeeper. The Spaniard fits in with Barcelona’s tactics and provides a safety net should the defence fail – the 22 saves which he has made this season, conceding just six times, is testament to this. His performances this season have bettered Courtois’ and it will be a big loss for Martino’s side when he departs.
However, Courtois’ performances both this season and the two years prior to this which he has spent on loan at Atletico Madrid have shown that he is capable of making the step up, and should he replace Valdes, there will not – nor should not – be too many worried faces at the Camp Nou